Michael Jackson's New Vegas Show 'One' Will Double The Fun

Michael Jackson One: Who says you can't be in two places at the same time?

Michael Jackson pulled in an estimated $145 million last year from beyond the grave--tens of millions more than any living musician. A big part of that: his Immortal World Tour, a joint venture between the Michael Jackson Estate and Cirque du Soleil. It grossed $160 million in its first leg, tops among North American tours in 2012.

On the heels of that success, Jackson's estate and Cirque du Soliel have announced another endeavor: Michael Jackson One, a brand-new show set to run indefinitely at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, set to debut in preview form on May 23rd, 2013. The official premiere will follow on June 29th, 2013.

“Michael Jackson is an all-time phenomenal artist, both timeless and contemporary," said Cirque chief Daniel Lamarre in a statement. "As a creative challenge, this project is the ultimate. Through the use of cutting edge technology, we will produce a new Cirque du Soleil theatrical experience not only respectful of Michael’s legacy but also very distinctive from Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour.”

The new show means that Michael Jackson will soon be able to do something that no artist has ever done before: play two arena shows at the same time. Even as fans gather for the first performance of One in Vegas on May 23rd, the same thing will be happening on the other side of the world as the Immortal World Tour rolls into Nagoya, Japan. Just hours after the official Vegas premier the following month, Immortal will take the stage in Taipei, Taiwan.

Directed by Jamie King, the plot of Michael Jackson One will follow four misfits as they embark upon a musical, visual, theatrical adventure. The title of the show reflects its inspiration and recurring theme--unity and peace--the sort of themes Jackson explored in songs like "Man In The Mirror" and "Heal The World."

We are guided by Michael’s own philosophy in all that we do. In preparing for this production, Michael’s message to the cast and crew for his This Is It concerts was foremost in our minds. He counseled them on what the audience experience should be: 'They want wonderful experiences. We want to take them places that they’ve never been before. We want to show them talent like they’ve never seen before. We’re putting love back into the world to remind the world that love is important. WE’RE ALL ONE. That is the message.’ We feel the same, and that is what we are delivering both to lifelong fans and those just discovering his artistic genius with Michael Jackson One."

In addition to being a brilliant entertainer--taking millions places they hadn't been through music and videos alike--Jackson was also quite a savvy businessman in his day (a theme I'm exploring in my upcoming book, Michael Jackson, Inc., due out next year for Simon & Schuster).

He outmaneuvered billionaires and music executives to acquire ATV, the company that owned the Beatles' publishing catalog, for $47.5 million in 1985. That investment is now worth somewhere around $1 billion.

It seems Jackson the musician would have enjoyed the notion of his songs reaching potentially twice as many people through two Cirque du Soleil shows--and it's likely that Jackson the businessman would have been quite pleased by the financial implications as well.